I have a confession. My browser bookmarks are full of AI tools I signed up for, tried once and never opened again. So when I came across this post, it hit home.
The author spends at least $1,000 a month on AI, mostly just to test new tools. After all that testing, this AI professional keeps coming back to the same short list of apps. I love that kind of filter, because someone else has already paid to sort the hype from the stuff that sticks.
Here are the 10 tools that made the cut, along with the tips the creator shared for each one.
1. Claude.ai: The Everyday Workhorse
This is the expert’s go-to tool for almost every task. The real value here is the settings advice, since most people never change their settings.
- Default model: Use Opus 5.5 on Medium, not Max.
- Why not Max: The post says Max will hit your usage limit within an hour.
- Connector trick: Click “+” → Connectors → Tool access → On demand. That way Claude won’t load the apps it doesn’t need.
I think the connector tip is the hidden gem here. If you’ve linked a lot of apps, loading every one of them in every chat uses up context. Switching to on demand keeps things lean and helps your usage last longer.
2. ChatGPT.com: The Best Free Option
If you don’t want to pay for any subscription, the original poster says ChatGPT is the best free AI model out there. It makes good images and it’s great for quick searches.
Picture the everyday moments: you need a fast answer, a quick fact check or a simple graphic for a slide. You don’t need a credit card for any of that.
3. Wispr Flow: Stop Typing
This one surprised me the most. The author actually stopped typing because of it.
- Hold one key (Shift on your keyboard) and talk.
- It ignores the “ums,” formats your words and drops the text into any app.
- The post says it’s about 4x faster than typing.
- It runs natively on your laptop and works in any app.
Try it for long prompts. When you talk through a messy idea out loud, you usually give the AI a lot more context than a rushed typed sentence would.
4. GrokBot: The Agent That Doesn’t Annoy
The creator calls this “the only agent I have never hated,” and the reason is how simple it is. It feels like talking to Claude, but it can also do some pretty wild things.
You set up your automations once and it handles them for you from then on. If agents have felt too fiddly to you so far, this could be the one to try first.
5. Granola: Meeting Notes Without the Bot
We’ve all been on calls where a random notetaker bot joins and things get awkward. Granola avoids that completely.
- No bot ever joins the meeting.
- It writes full notes after the call.
- You can search transcripts by keyword.
That last point matters a lot. Three weeks later, you can find what the client said about pricing in seconds instead of trying to remember it.
6. Screen Studio: The Video Secret
This LinkedIn creator gets about 100 DMs asking how the videos are recorded. The answer is Screen Studio, which the author uses for every single video.
The standout feature is that it zooms in automatically wherever you click, so you barely need to edit afterward. If you make tutorials, demos or product walkthroughs, that could save you hours every week.
7. Canva: Design in Your Own Colors
The expert designs almost all of their image posts in Canva. The tip worth stealing is to upload your brand kit, so every design uses your colors and fonts automatically.
The author also notes that Canva’s AI features keep getting better. With a brand kit and the AI tools, you get consistent visuals without needing a designer.
8. Notion: One Search Box for Everything
The post’s author runs their entire workspace in Notion. Here’s the trick: open Notion and press the space bar to “Ask AI.”
That one box can search Notion, Slack, Google Drive and Gmail. You ask once instead of hunting through four apps for a single document.
9. Grammarly: A Safety Net Before You Post
The creator isn’t a native English speaker and points out that most of us aren’t either. Grammarly is the last check before anything goes live.
- The free plan is enough.
- Fair warning: the “upgrade now” pop-ups drive the author crazy.
10. 1Password: Lock Down Your Keys
This is the only app the expert trusts with passwords and API keys. It also lets you share them securely with your team.
If you’re testing a lot of AI tools, the API keys pile up fast. Pasting them into notes or Slack messages is asking for trouble, and a password manager solves that.
What I Took Away From This
The most honest line in the whole post? The author has tried “the entire ocean of other tools” and has actually forgotten most of them exist.
That’s the real lesson. Spending more on AI doesn’t mean you need more AI tools. The ones that stick are the ones that quietly save you effort: less typing, less editing, fewer tabs.
Here are a few ways to put this list to work:
- Pick one daily annoyance, like typing, meeting notes or video editing, and test the matching tool for a week.
- Change the settings in tools you already use, like the Claude model and connector tips above.
- Go through your subscriptions and cancel anything you haven’t opened in a month.
Check out the full LinkedIn post for the creator’s complete take on each tool. It’s a great way to sanity-check your own setup.